Operation Shader - Iraq, Syria

[The Armchair Soldier]

RAF Faces Struggle to Find Extra Firepower After Cuts

The admission by the UK government that it would not increase the small number of combat aircraft committed to the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) in Iraq should it get a mandate to launch strikes in Syria reflects the reality that the Royal Air Force would struggle to muster much extra firepower.

After five years of relentless defence cuts, the armed forces are struggling to sustain the current level of commitments after more than a decade of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Read More: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e0c896d8-20df ... z3eoq5s3tY

[ArmChairCivvy]

Really have to wonder about the real bottleneck?

The only ones I am aware of are maintenance technicians (as the RAF was planning to go over to Tiffies faster than what is now happening) and the back-seat drivers (sorry about the non-technical term) because none more have been trained for years.

I don't want to stray into any OpSec matters, but the plan to manage the Tornado/Typhoon transition was originally based on 96 serviceable a/c, and I believe it is now hovering around 50. Who decided about that (or have the manpower gaps outlined above been the driver?)?

[downsizer]

Government thought they could run down TGRF faster post Herrick as they wouldn't be needed so jets have been RTP'd. They never thought they'd be running Shader now. BAe only have to provide X number to the FE@R. More jets at FE@R costs more dough.

[ArmChairCivvy]

Exactly that, forgot about how the support contract (its renewal) was framed.

Add to that the scarcity of the "TES" kit acquired (they don't last forever, either, if you don't buy any spares) and the manpower factors on the RAF side of the "fence".

[Tiny Toy]

Even if we did deploy more aircraft to Syria, it would likely make very difference. That's not to say we shouldn't do it - we should absolutely do it! But we have to be realistic: France and Canada and so forth have already been operating in Syria against Daesh with relatively little success overall, and we'd have to measure our own contribution as a proportion of the total.

I don't believe military action in isolation can prevail against Daesh, it has to be part of a wider overall picture involving diplomatic, economic and cyber strategies. The military part of the picture is well developed and well organised and doing a great job, because it's relatively straightforward, but the other parts are just completely missing.

[RetroSicotte]

Even if we did deploy more aircraft to Syria, it would likely make very difference. That's not to say we shouldn't do it - we should absolutely do it! But we have to be realistic: France and Canada and so forth have already been operating in Syria against Daesh with relatively little success overall, and we'd have to measure our own contribution as a proportion of the total.

France hasn't been striking in Syria.

[Tiny Toy]

France hasn't been striking in Syria.

s/France/USA/

[The Armchair Soldier]

HMS Duncan is now in the Gulf supporting strike operations against ISIL:

[GibMariner]

Following on from that, RN article about it: http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-la ... operations
HMS Duncan joins US Carrier on strike operations against ISIL

Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan is working around the clock to support day and night strikes against key ISIL targets in the Middle East launched from the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
She’s the latest Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer to take her place with a US carrier battle group on operations in the Gulf region, and is part of a coalition of more than 60 countries.
It is her job to shield the 100,000-tonne American carrier from any foe by sea or air – HMS Duncan’s Sea Viper missiles can take out the latter at up to 75 miles away.

But more important for the ongoing mission in the Gulf is her ability to provide air traffic and fighter control – the former keeps the aircraft apart while the latter guide F-18 Super Hornet bombers flying from the Roosevelt’s deck on to their ISIL targets.

“We’re very much a full part of the carrier strike group – we’re often the primary escort which shows that the US Navy trusts us to protect one of their most powerful warships,”

Working with the US carrier also sets the pace for the arrival of the Royal Navy’s two new Queen Elizabeth class carriers – allowing the Service the opportunity to develop effective techniques.

[The Armchair Soldier]

[The Armchair Soldier]

[The Armchair Soldier]

Just a few statistics from a written answer in Parliament:

Number of weapons released in Iraq since the start of Operation Shader and 30 June 2015.

Tornado GR4:
198 Paveway IV
82 Brimstone

MQ-9 Reaper:
155 Hellfire
4 GBU-12

[The Armchair Soldier]

Missiles Fall Off RAF Combat Plane As It Lands

Two missiles fell off a Tornado fighter jet as it was landing at an RAF base in Cyprus, an official has confirmed.

The Brimstone ground attack weapons did not explode and no one was injured in the incident at RAF Akrotiri, a spokesman said.

The base has been used in airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq.

But the spokesman would not be drawn on whether the aircraft was returning from a combat mission against the terror group, also known as ISIS and ISIL.

He said: "I can confirm that during a Tornado landing at Akrotiri two of its missiles became detached from the aircraft."

Read More: http://news.sky.com/story/1519423/missi ... s-it-lands

[seaspear]

Is there more reliance now on drones to discover many of the various targets later attacked by the aircraft ,patrols by drones also must be considerably cheaper than ones done by aircraft .

[The Armchair Soldier]

Syria Air Strikes Conducted by UK Military Pilots

UK pilots embedded with coalition allies' forces have been conducting air strikes over Syria against the Islamic State group, it has emerged.

This is despite UK MPs voting in 2013 against military action in Syria.

About 20 personnel, including three pilots, have been embedded with other coalition nations' forces, including the US and Canada, the BBC understands.

Read More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33562420

[The Armchair Soldier]

UK Will Help Destroy Islamic State, David Cameron Tells US

Britain is committed to working with the US to destroy the "caliphate" set up by Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, the prime minister has said.

David Cameron told US TV network NBC he wanted the UK to do more but said he needed to "take Parliament with him".

[...]

Speaking about the UK's possible role in fighting the group, Mr Cameron told NBC: "I want Britain to do more. I'll always have to take my parliament with me.

"We're talking and discussing at the moment, including with the opposition parties in Britain, what more we can do. But be in no doubt, we're committed to working with you to destroy the caliphate in both countries."

Read More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33584548

[The Armchair Soldier]

David Cameron: Libya Air Strikes Possible if Threat to Britons Emerges

The Prime Minister has threatened military action as part of Britain's fight against Islamic extremism

Read More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... erges.html

I wasn't able to post the rest of the article as I've reached my free article limit.

[The Armchair Soldier]

[The Armchair Soldier]

David Cameron Takes the Fight to Isil, Drafting Plans to Intervene Against Jihadists in Libya

Britain must be ready to fight terrorist groups anywhere in the world, David Cameron has declared, as the Government draws up plans to defeat jihadist forces inside Libya.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) will only be thwarted if countries unite against “one of the biggest threats our world has faced”, the Prime Minister said.

Mr Cameron flies out today for a four-day trade mission to South East Asia, during which he will also offer to send British expertise to Malaysia and Indonesia to help them disrupt terrorist plots and improve airline security.

The Telegraph can disclose that Mr Cameron has ordered officials to begin planning for a new intervention in Libya, which has become a haven for Isil jihadists.

The gunman who shot dead 30 British tourists in Tunisia is known to have received training in Libya. Western security sources believe the country needs international help to defeat the Islamist threat.

Read More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... Libya.html

[-Eddie-]

David Cameron Takes the Fight to Isil, Drafting Plans to Intervene Against Jihadists in Libya

Would he be willing to do this without US or French co-operation or assistance? Would we be able to?

[The Armchair Soldier]

Hundreds of UK Troops Set to Help Libya Fight Advance of ISIS

Hundreds of British troops are being lined up to go to Libya as part of a major new international mission to help stabilise the North African country and combat Islamic State.

Military personnel from Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the United States will also take part in an operation that looks set to be activated once the rival warring factions inside Libya agree to form a single government of national unity.

Read More: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/d ... 514621.ece (paywalled)

[~UNiOnJaCk~]

And all with a core budget not only still unprotected, but actively at risk/set to fall further under the government's new creative accounting methods.

[The Armchair Soldier]

[The Armchair Soldier]

[The Armchair Soldier]

David Willett's is Defence Editor of The Sun, so take it with a pinch of salt.